Church of the Nazarene - East Rockingham Campus

Today we are continuing our new teaching series called “Encounter The Cross”.

We want to see and understand how this ancient execution devise is now a centuries old symbol for hope and life. We want to experience the life and victory that the cross offers. We want to encounter the cross.

Our series continues today as we seek to encounter the other two crosses beside Jesus.

Let’s turn to our teaching text today in Luke 23

All of the gospel writers are brief when it comes to the details of crucifixion. Everyone already knew what it was, and what this meant.

We don’t know what crimes these other two guys committed. It’s believed they were some sort of political revolutionary, or something like a terrorist or freedom fighter in our world today. These were bad dudes in the eyes of the Roman justice system.

And this is the scene, three crosses on a hill top.

In the midst of this gruesome scene, we have the first words of Jesus since being nailed to the cross- Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.

You can imagine with each labored and heavy breath, he keeps pleading these words. "Father forgive them… Father forgive them…they don’t know what they are doing."

Jesus had always taught his disciples to love their enemies, now he is doing it. This is the cross.

From one side of the cross, this criminal uses his dying breaths to taunt and insult Jesus. Seemingly oblivious to his own fate, he throws out a sarcastic plea for salvation.

Then from the other side of the cross comes a completely different reaction to what’s happening.

Confronted with a love he had never seen before, a power greater than the power of pain and death. Something changes. As Jesus suffers and prays for his enemies- this criminal realizes something is different here. This Is not like anything or anyone he has ever seen or heard of before.

Even in his own desperate state, he recognizes this Jesus is different. And he responds…

Where the first criminal seems to be angered by his circumstances, this man seems to have remorse for the life that has lead him here. He knows what he’s done, he deserves what’s happening to him.

After rebuking his partner in crime, he turns to Jesus with a plea for mercy. He asks that he would simply remember him when he comes into his kingdom.

In these final hours, the man who sought mercy in Jesus found the absolute assurance that he would indeed be remembered.

This man didn’t go to a bible study, he didn’t give any money to the church, he didn’t even have a chance to do any good works- yet, he’s with Jesus as we speak. This is the power of the cross. This is the forgiveness that Jesus offers, this is the promise of eternal life.

This is the cross. This is the story of all 3 crosses..

As we encounter these other two crosses, we encounter our story. That’s the importance of remembering these other two crosses. To invite us to reflect and to think about our own response to Jesus.

To ask of ourselves “Which side of the cross am I on?”

The first man prayed, get me down from here, get me out of this mess.

The second man prays “Lord can I go up with you? Can I go where you are?”

Which side of the Cross are you on?